Can-body-making machine



Aug. l2, 1930. .N, TROYER CAN BODY MA'KING MACHINE 6` Sheets-Sheet Filed Feb. 25, 1926 llNvI-:NTOR

- ATTORNEY ug 12; 1930. N. TRoYr-:R

n CAN BODY MAKING MAHINE Filed Feb. 23, 1926 6 Sheets-Sheet INVENTOR Nemo/v 7km/ff? TTORNEY N. TROYER .Aug l2, 1930.

CAN BODY MAKING MACHINE Filed Feb. 25, 1926 6 Sheets-Sheet Aug* l2, 1930. N. TRoYER 1,772,320

GAN BODY MAKING MACHINE Filed Feb. 23, 1926 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR ATTORNEY Aug l2, 1930. N. TROYER CAN BODY MAKING MACHINE 6A Sheets-Sheet Filed Feb. 23, 1,926

In! l...

Dn O T N E V N /YE/ SO/v 7)?0 yf/P I BY ATTORNEY Aug. 12, 1930.

N. TROYER 1,772,820

CAN BODY MAKING MACHINE Filed Feb. 25, 1926 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 y. ZZ.

INVENTOR /Y NELSON 72m YER atented -'ug. 12, 1930 NITED STATES JPA'rE'N-fr orner:

. NELSoN TEoYEE, or SEATTLE, WASHINGTON, l`Assi eNoiaI'rosEATrLEl ASToErA"; i oN s,

WORKS, E SEATTLE, WASHINGTON, AcoEPoEATIoNoE WAsHrNeToN CAN-BODYTMAKING MACHINE Application led February 23, 1926. Serial No. 89,979.

The invention relates to new and useful improvements in a process'of manufacturing can bodies, and a can body forming machine for carrying out said process.

In order to better explain the object of the present invention, it will be stated herethat, in the manufacture of metal cans it is the usual practice to form the body blanks cylindrically after they have been properly 1'@ flanged and notched, this being done by i to be irregular in curvature and not truly cylindrical as is desired. Also, some diffilapped joints of the blanks to lie'iiatly together for the application of the solder; this being due to the natural tendency of the metal blanks to resist bending.

Applicant has discovered that if the metal blank which is to be formed into the can body is properly treated so as to break the grain of the metal prior to the bending of the blank about a cylindrical horn, the blanks will then evenly and easily form about the horn in true cylindrical shape.

An object of the invention is to provide a process of treating the blank from which a cylindrical can body is to be made byla progressive curving of the blank from one side edge thereof to the other for the breaking of the grain of the metal.

A further object of the invention is to provide a machine having means for bending a blank to form a cylindrical body with means forcurving the blank progressively from one side thereof to the other for breaking the grain of the metal subsequent to the bending of thev blank into cylindrical form, so that culty has been experienced in causing the.

when the metal is bent into cylindrical-form itwill produce a uniform cylindrical body.-

A further object of the invention is to provide a machine for forming can bodies-by the bending of l the `blank into cylindrical'. form With means for curving the blank progressively from one side edge thereof to the other fo'r the breaking of the grain of the metal and with means for returnin the blank to substantially flat condition for t e shaping and bending of the edge portions so that they may be interlocked when the body blank ,is bent into cylindlrical form to form a lockand-lap seam body.

Other objects of the invention reside in the various details of construction and combination of parts embodied in the device and. in their mode of operation as is hereinafter described.

In accomplishing these and other objects of the invention, I have provided the improved details of construction, theJ preferred -forms of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Fig.`1` is a side elevation of a can body forming machine equipped with body blank flexing means in accordance wit-h the present invention.

Fig. 2 shows in elevation parts of the driving gearing of the machine that are located on the side opposite that shown in Fig. 1; their housings being shown in section.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the machine.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section of the same Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5 5 in Fig. 4, showing the forming horn and wing clamps.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional view taken Figures 10 and 11l are end views of can-f" taken substantially on the line 4 4 in Fig. 3.r285

in a vertical plane transversely of the machine bodies illustratin respectively, the relation p as of the lapped en s of a body that is formed by a machine including the presentmechamsm and one that is formed by a machine not using the present flexing and rolling mechanism.

The invention is directed broadly to a process of treating blanks for the making of can bodies yand to the mechanism for treating the blanks and forming cylindrical can bodies. The blank after it is ready for thev forming of the cylindrical body is preferably bent about a horn into cylindrical form. In order to facilitate the bending of the body and the production of a uniform cylindrical body, the blank is first treated so as to break the grain. This is accomplished by the curving of the blank progressively, about a radius of approximately the radius of the can body to be formed, from one side edge thereof to the other side edge of the body. As illustrated, vthe blank is caused to pass about a cylindrical roll of the diameter stated and, a guiding means is provided for uiding the blank about the roll. After the blank has been passed about the roll it is then held in flattened condition while it is fed forward to the operating devices which prepare the blank for the forming of a lock-and-lap seam if such a can body is lto be produced. This enables the blank to the properly conditioned and the side edges bent into hooks, and then the blank is fed to the forming mechanism which bends the blank about the horn and interlocks and joins the edges.

Referring more in detail to the several views of the drawings- 1 designates, as a whole, the base frame of a can body machine whereon the blank flexing mechanism embodied by the present invention is mounted. The frame comprises a horizontal bed plate that is supported at a suitable height by legs 2 at itscorners.

Extending horizontally along one side of the 4frame is a power shaft 3. This is supported by, and extends revolubly through gear casings 4 and 5 which are secured in spaced relation to the frame. At one end of f t e shaft 3 is a belt wheel 6 through which .l power may be transmitted to the machine and keyed onto the shaft within the housings 4 and 5, as shown best in Fig. 2, are bevel gears 7 and 8 which, respectively, operate in mesh with similar gears 9 and 10 rotatable on stub shafts 11 and 12 mounted in the adjacent side beam of the base frame at the same horizontal level as the shaft 3 and perpendicular thereto. Cast integral with the bevel gears 9 and 10 are spurly gears 13 and 14 which operate in Ymesh with larger gears 15' and 16 that are keyed onto the endsof shafts 17 and 18 that extend transversely of the frame at levels respectively belowand above the level of the shaft 3. The shaft 17 is rotatable in bearings formed as a part of thev frame and has drivbars 56 and 56 ing connections, shown best in Figs. 4 and5 and presently described, whereby it operates the bumper that locks the can seam, the feed bars and also the suction feed mechanism `which delivers the bod forming blanks from the supply stack into t e machine. The shaft 18, as best shown in Figs. 2 and 3, serves' as a driving connection for the two shafts which actuate the notching dies and the clamping.

and 4, is a frame wherein a stack of can body forming blanks as designated at 36, may be contained. This stack is supported on two fixed fingers 30 in such manner as to permit their being delivered singly from the under end of the stack for advancement into the machine. The means whereby this is accomplished comprises a sucker head 37 that is fixed to the upper end of a tube 38 reciprocally mounted within a guide block formed as a partof a bracket 39 erected centrally upon that end of the bed plate. At its lower end, the tube 38 has a flexible tube connection 40 with a pump cylinder 41 fixed to the frame l, Figure 1, wherein a piston 42 operates to produce the desired suction in the'head 37; the said piston being operatively connected by means of a pitman 43 with an eccentric pin 44 at the end of the shaft 18. The lower end of the tube 38 also is connected by means of a link 46 with the horizontal arm 47 of a bell crank 48 that is pivotally mounted by means of a stud 49 from the under side of the bed plate and which has a depending arm 50 connected by means of a rod 51 to a lug 52 on the pitman 52 mounted on an eccentric crank 17 of the shaft 17, as is shown in Fig. 4. j

Operating in synchronism with the reciprocable movement of the sucker tube are two reciprocally mounted, horizontal feed bars 53 and 54. which are slidable in guideways 55 provided therefor along the upper edges of the beams-20 and 21, and which are reciprocated by means of a rocker arm 61 mounted on a rock shaft62; said arm being connected at its upper end by means of a link 63 to a block 58 that is slidable along a longitudinal guide beam 59 supported vat its ends from the bracket 39 and a similar bracket 60 at the other end of the frame. connected to the bars 53 and 54 by means of which extend laterally from theopposite sides thereof to the feed bars. Also connected with the block 58 and slidable adjacent the guide bar 59 are feed bars The block 58 is 57 which extend to a position below the frame and supply stack 36. The shaft 62 is actuated by a rockerl arm 64 which extends downwardly therefrom and at its lower end is connected to one end of a rod 65, see Figure 1, which at its other end is fixed to an ecceptric pin 66 in a wheel 67, Figure 8, on the inner end of the shaft 17;

The connections described provide that upon rbtation of the shaft 17, the shaft 62 will be pscillated by means of the connecting rod and this, through the-arm 61 and link 63, will cause reciprocal movement of thev slide block`58 and a like movement of the feed hars 53-54 and bars 57. Also there is caused` a vertical, reciprocal movement of the sucker tub\by the connectionprovided through the rod 51 and bell crank 48 and this first advances the sucker head against the lower blank of the stack and then moves downwardly so that, incidental to suction created in the head, the lower blank will be bent down at the center away from the stack.

At the ends of the feed bars 57 are feed fingers 70 which, upon reciprocal movement vof the bars, are moved outwardly beneath the stack of blanks and upon each inward movement engage the lower blank and cause it to be moved inwardly into the guideway of thefolder housings.

The blank flexing mechanism which in its embodiment as a part of thecan bodymachine,

constitutes the present invention, comprises three cylinders or'rollers 75, 76 and 77, of equal length and diameter, arranged with their` axes horizontal, parallel and in the same vertical plane longitudinally of the frame and adj acent one side of the guide-way former by the folder housings. rlhe rollers are supported by trunnions 78 at their ends mounted in bearings or housings 79 and 80 formed in tegral with or secured to the folder housing beam 21 at the side of the guide-way. At corresponding ends of the three rollers the trunnions are provided with intermeshing driving gears 81, 82 and 83, respectively, a driving gear 84 operates in mesh With-gear 82, as shown in Figure 7 The shaft 84: of the gear 84is extended from the housing 79 and is equipped with abelt wheel 85 over which a -belt 86, driven by the pulley 87 of an electric motor 88 mounted on the frame of the machine, operates to drive the three rollers. r1`he adj acentedges of the rollers are spaced apart just slightly less than the thickness of the body blanks so that when a blank is advanced between them, there will be Sullicient frictional adhesion to retain it against slipping.

As tlie body blanks are delivered from the supply stack by the reciprocal movement of the feed bars to a position opposite the space between the two lower rollers 7 Gand 77, they are pushed laterally .from the guideway so that they will'be takenin between the two lower rollers. The means for effecting this lateral movement of the blanks, as shown best in Figures'S and 6, Consists of a feed slide 90 slidable in a direction transversely of the guideway in a slot 91\` formed in the folder housing 2O with its inner edge in a position to be engaged with the adjacent edge of the body blanks. At its outer end it is operatively connected with an arm 92 that is fixed to one end of a revolubly mounted support-- ing shaft 93 which, at its other end, has a short lever 94 fixed thereto equipped with a roller 95 at its end operating in contact with a cam 96 fixed on a shaft,98 that extends parallel with the folder housing 20 and which is driven by the shaft 18 through a set of bevel gear'wheels 99, as shown in Fig. 3. The shaft 98 is timed with movement of the feed bars so that as each blank is delivered by the latter to a position opposite the bending rollers, the feed block 90 is actuated inwardly by the arm 92 to move the blank laterally be tween the rollers. After being actuated inwardly by the cam, the arm 92 is returned to its outer position by means of a plunger 115 that is slidable in a boss 116 formed on the outside of the beam 20, see Figure 6, and

Awhich presses outwardly against the arm. A

coiled spring 117 contained within the guidewayyof the boss bears against a shoulder on the plunger to urge it outwardly.

. With the rollers rotating as indicated by the arrows thereon in Figure 6, theblanks that are delivered between the two lower rollers will be advanced against a guide block 100 supported adjacent the outside of the central roller by brackets 101 at its ends. This guide block has its inner surface spaced slightly from and curved coaXially with that of the roller so that the blanks are bent cylindrically and are guided thereby into the space between the central and upper rollers which are so positioned as to return the blanks again into the guide-way upon a Hat base plate 102 fixed between the beams 20 and 21. This manipulating of the blank by the curving and the straightening of the same breaks the grain of the metal throughout the entire eX- tent of the blank, and greatly facilitates the subsequent bending of the blank into cylindrical form after the notches and hooks have been formed in the side edges. ,The action of the central and lower rollers in I noving the blanks against the guide block 100 causes them to be curved at approximately the curvature of the finished can body andthe action of the central and upper rollers in dis charging the blanks advances them against a straightening plate 103 supported along the inside ofthe central rollerl and which causes the blanks, on coming in contact therewith, to be guided thereby into the guideway while held substantially flat. The plate 103 is adso that a proper adjustment thereof may be -made.

A plate 105, see Figure 6, is removably fixed between the folder housings to closely overlie plate 102 for the purpose of retaining the blanks against displacement as they are returned int-o the guideway. It is a preferred construction to have this plate provided at one side adjacent the rollers with two upstanding ears 107 with outwardly opening notches 108 adapted to receive supporting studs 109 that are fixed to the roller supporting housings, and at its other end has a plunger 110 contained in a bearing 111 with its outer end head 112 adapted to seat within a notch 113 in the opposite side wall of the guide way. A knurled knob 114 is provided on the inner end of the plunger whereby it may be unseated when it is desired to remove the plate anda coiled spring 112 contained within the bearing 111 bears outwardly' against the head 112 to retain it seated.

After the blanks have been rolled, and returned again into the guideway, the reciprocating feed bars advance them by intermittent movements while they are held flat along the machine past the several notching dies, flanging devices and finally to the forming horn 125 about which they are bent bythe action of the wing clamps 126-126 and their end flanges are seamed together by the hammer or bumper 127.

Briefly stated, the clamping bars which retain the blanks against movement during these various operations, the notching dies and flanging devices are actuated by the shaft 98 and a similar shaft 98" at the opposite side of the machine; the latter shaft being driven from shaft 18 by a set of bevel gears 99 as shown in Fig. 3. p y

In Fig. 9, I have illustrated the blanks as they appear at different and successive positions as they are advanced intermittently through the machine and have designated these positions by reference letters. Position A is that at the start, B the first stop, at which there is no operation on the blank, C the second stop at which the blank is advanced into the rollers, C the`position after delivery from the rollers, D a blank space where there is no operation, E the position at which notches are formed in the ends of the blanks, F and Gr the posit-ions for first and second flanging operations, H a blank space and ll ilhe position for forming the blank about the orn.

The wing clamps as shown in Fig. 5 are pivotally supported by a pin 130 above the horn and are opened and closed by a mechanism comprising a pair of links 131 which, at their lower ends are pivotally attached to the clamps and at their upper ends connect with levers 132 that arel pivotally supported from the frame of the machine; the levers 132 being connected by links 133 with eccentric pins arrasa@ 134 fixed in wheels 135 at the ends of shafts 98 and 98.

The seam bumper is actuated by means of a pitman 140 which has a ball and socket connection, as at 141, with the bumper mounting block 142 and' at its lower end with the eccentric bearing connection 52 `with the shaft 17.

When the wingclamps are closed against a blank in pressing it about the forming horn, the edges of the wings are necessarily spaced apart for the entrance of the seam closing bumper, and therefore, they do not press the lapped ends of the blanks tightly together. Heretofore, this has been detrimental because the lapped ends, due to the natural stiffness of the metal, would not be pressed tightly together but would extend tangental to the curve of the body in the manner as shown in Figure 11, and would thereby cause difficulty in obtaining a satisfactorily soldered connection. However, by the use of the present means, the rolling operation on the blank has the effect of curving these lapped ends 1nwardly so as to cause them to lie flatly together, as shown in Figure 10, and a very satisfactorily soldered connection can then be obtained.

It is to be understood that the specific construction of the mechanism of the body machine outside of the blank flexing rollers and mechanism used for feeding the blanks into and from the same, forms no part of the presentk invention. The machine has been described and illustrated in order to lay a foundation for the presentation of claims covering the use of blank flexing rollers in a machine of this character, which is thought to be novel.

A machine equipped with a body blank flexing and rolling means, as described, will form bodies that are truly cylindrical; this being due to the factthat, in the rolling process which curves the bodies on a radius substantally that of the finished product, the grain of the metal is broken and, even though the blanks are held flat for delivery through the machine, they will bend easily and evenly about the horn to form bodies that are pery fectly smooth and free of any irregularity in curvature.

Having thus described my invention, what ll claim as new herein and desire to secure by imaszo other mechanisms adapted for operation on the blanks to form them into cylindrical bodies, of a plurality of driven rollers and means for causing said blanks to be delivered between said rollers prior to their delivery to the forming mechanisms and whereby said blanks will be curved in the same direction as ultimately formed and will then be held flatior passage through the forming mechanisms. l

3. In a can body machine of the class described, having a guideway along which body blanks may be advanced, the combination with advancing means, mechanisms for operation in the blanks at different points along the guideway, a cylindrical horn and means for forming the blanks about the horn, of a plurality of driven rolls, a blank bending block, a blank straightening plate and means operating inrsynchronism with the blank advancing means for delivering the blanks between certain of said rolls whereby they are advanced against the bending block and are curved radially thereby and are guided between another set of rolls which delivers them against the said straightening plate and into the guideway for advancement to the forming mechanisms. Y

4. A can body machine of the character described, comprising a guideway, nieans for advancing body blanks intermittently alongv the guideway, mechanisms for operation on the blanks to form them intobodies, a set of' rollers revolubly mounted adjacent the guideway consisting of a central roller, an upper roller and a lower roller, all in parallel relation, said rollers having supporting trunnions equipped with intermeshing driving gears, means for driving the rollers, a bending block adjacent the outside of the rollers having a cylindrically curved surface, a straightening plate adjacent the inside of the rollers, and a reciprocating feed plate operating in synchronism with the blank advancing means for delivering the blanks between the central and lower roller against the bending block whereby they are curved radially and guided back between the central and upper rollers and delivered thereby against the straightening plate again into the guideway for advancement to the forming mechanisms.

5. ln a machine of the character described a body blank bending mechanism comprising a central roller, an upper roller and a lowerroller, all in parallel relation, intermeshing driving gears xed at the ends of the rollers, a blank bending block positioned adjacent to the central roller having a cylindrically curved surface, against which blanks delivered between the central and lower rollers will be advanced to be curved radially and guided between the central and upper rollers and a plate fixed along the inside of said rollers for receiving the blanks as delivered from the upper and central rollers and whereby said blanks will be bent back to normal position.

6. A machine ofthe character described, comprising a preforming means, blank flattoning means, blank edging means, means for forming blanks into body form and mechanism foradvancing blanks successively through the preforming, attening, edging and body forming means.

7. A can body machine comprising a blank supporting means, a body preforming means, blank notching means, blank edging means, a horn, means for bending the body blanks about the horn and for seaming their edges together, and a feed mechanism operable to deliver the body blanks successively from the supporting means through the preforming, notching and edging means into position to be formed about the horn and for advancing the formed body from the horn.

8. The process of forming cylindrical can bodies consisting in curving the blank from which the body is to be formed progressively from one side edge thereof to the other for breaking the grain of the metal, subsequently bending said blank about a horn into cylindrical form, and joining the side edges.

9. Process of forming a 'cylindrical can body consisting in curving the blank from which the body is to be -formed progressively from one side .edge thereof to the other for breaking the grain of the metal, subsequently flattening the blank, notching and forming hooks thereon and then bending said blank about a horn into cylindrical form and joining the side edges.

l0. Process of forming. cylindrical can bodies consisting in curving the blank from which the body is to be formed progressively from one side edge thereof tothe other about a radius approximating the radius of the can body to be formedl for breaking the grain of the metal, subsequently bending the blank about a horn into cylindrical form, and joining the side edges.

11. The process of forming a cylindrical can body consisting in curving the blank from which the body is to be formed progressively from one side edge thereof to the other about a radius approximating t-he radius of' the can body to be formed, subsequently flattening the blank, notching the blank and forming hooks thereon, and then bending the blank about a horn into cylindrical form and joining the side ledges.

12. A can body machine comprising means for curvingv the blank from which the body is to be formed progressively from one side edge thereof to the other for breaking the grain of the metal, means for subsequentlyl bending said blank about a horn into cylindrical form, and means for joining the side edges.

lli?

13. A can body machine comprising means r 6 imaeae for curving the blank from which the body is to be formed progressively trom one side edge thereof to the other about a radius approximating the radius of the cylindrical body to be formed for breaking the grain of the metal, means for subsequently bending said blank about a horn into cylindrical form, and means for joining the side edges.l

14. `A can body machine comprising means for curving the blank from which the body is to be formed progressively from one side edge thereof to the other about a radius approximating the radius of the cylindrical body to be ormed for breaking the ygrain of the metal, means for subsequently attening the blank, means for notching and forming hooks at the side edges of said blank, means for bending said blank about a vhorn into cylindrical form and for joining the eide ed es.

l5. A can body machine comprising cooperating rolls and a blank guiding means for curving the blank from which the body is to be formed progressively from one side edge thereof to the other for the breaking of the grain of the metal, means associated p patented.

therewith for holding the blank dat, means for forming hooks on the blank, means for bending the blank about a horn for forming a cylindrical body and joining the side edges.

16. A can body machine including in com-' bination means for manipulating the blank for breaking the grain of the metal throughout the entire extent of the blank, means for forming interlocking parts on the edges of the blanks, means for bending said blank into body form and joining the edges thereof, and means for feeding said blank in succession t0 said blank manipulating means, said edge forming means and said bending'means.

17. A can body machine including in combination -means for manipulating the blank for breaking the grain of the metal throughout the entire extent of the blank, means for notching the blank, means for forming interlocking hooks on the edges of the blanks, means for bending the blank about a horn into body shape and interlocking and bump-l ing the edges thereof, and means 'for feeding said blank in succession to the blank manipulating means, the notching means, the hook forming means, and the means :for bending the blank into bodyl shape, interlocking the edges and bumpinflf the same. v

Signed at Seattle, King County, Washington this 242th day of December 1925.

NELSN TRYER.

@ira'Qnaia/ikn i,772,820.-Nels0n Troyer, Seattle, Wash. @ANMB dated Aufrust 12 1930. lDiecl Uontinentcl @am (,ompcmy, I mmr med onrmMaaiNe Macarena. Patent nc June 22, 1935, by the assignee, Hereby enters this disclaimer to certain of the claimel of th patelt, and hereby dlclalms claims l, 2, 6, 7, 8 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, leflllglldhtdlfl disd ourd pettner lui-ther sais that the subject-matter not herein and hereby t lalnne 1s e mtely, dlstinguishable from the part or parte disclaimed herein and 1s r y and justly the invention of Nelson Troyer, and is a material part of the thing l [Qicial'laeette Jetty 23,1%1 i 

